July 26, 2018

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Enchiladas

These Chicken and Andouille Sausage Enchiladas have a chicken and Andouille chicken sausage filling wrapped in a tortilla, and topped with a delicious enchilada sauce and melty cheese.

Dinner for Friends

Last weekend we had our friends Mark and Kelly over for dinner. I had a list of options I was considering cooking, and asked if they had a preference. Mark picked enchiladas and I got really excited. I didn’t even know how much I wanted enchiladas until I realized how happy his decision had made me.

Enchiladas are one of those things that are always good. I mean you throw some tasty things in a tortilla with enchilada sauce and cheese … there just isn’t much to go wrong. But when done right, they can be really good.

Recreating Restaurant Meals

Back when my husband and I used to go out to dinner on a regular basis, the pre-child(ren) days, we frequented a delicious Mexican restaurant in our town. The restaurant uses a combination of chicken and chorizo in quite a few of their dishes, and it’s delicious. I often dream about that combination and want to recreate it.

I can never find chorizo at my grocery store. But, I can always find Andouille sausage, and although not quite the same, it’s a good substitute. Plus, it’s Andouille chicken, and that’s a bit healthier, which is always a positive.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Enchiladas

I used to make enchiladas with pre-made sauce, which is fine, but one day I decided to make homemade enchilada sauce and immediately wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner. It’s not difficult to make, can be adjusted to whatever spice level you prefer, and has a taste that no canned version can touch. It is so good.

These enchiladas are easy, delicious, and family friendly. And, they freeze well! When I’m going to freeze them, I put them together up to the point of baking, cover them with plastic and aluminum foil, and place them in the freezer. Before cooking I let them thaw for at least a few hours, take off the plastic and bake for a bit longer (usually about 20 minutes longer, depending on how long it’s thawed) until they’re warmed through.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Enchiladas

These Chicken and Andouille Sausage Enchiladas have a chicken and Andouille chicken sausage filling wrapped in a tortilla, and topped with a delicious enchilada sauce and melty cheese.

5 from 1 vote

Course: Main Course

Servings: Enchiladas

Calories: 264

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Ingredients

Chicken

1.5 pounds chicken breast slice to be 1/2″ thick
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Filling

6 ounces Andouille chicken sausage 2 links
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained

Sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic
1-2 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobe sauce chopped, use less for less spice
2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Assembly

12 tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Instructions

Chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil so that edges are folded up at least 2 inches over every side.
In a small bowl, mix together chicken broth, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano.
Place chicken in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Pour chicken broth mixture over chicken.
Turn aluminum foil in so that chicken is completely covered with foil. Bake for 35 minutes, or until cooked through.
Let cool for about 5 minutes, remove from juices and then shred with two forks.

Filling

Heat vegetable oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes.
Remove Andouille sausage from casings and crumble into pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add all of the remaining filling ingredients, as well as the shredded chicken, and stir well. Simmer uncovered, over low heat, for 15 minutes.

Sauce

Heat vegetable oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle chiles (use 1 tbsp or less for more mild sauce, and 2 tbsp for medium to hot sauce). Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add all of the remaining sauce ingredients and stir well.
Turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You will need two, 9×13 inch baking dishes.
Fill tortilla with ~1/2 cup of filling. Roll and place seam side down in baking dish. Place about 6 filled tortillas in each dish.
Once torillas are all filled, spread sauce even over all of the tortillas.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over sauce.
Cover each dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.